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Zou X, Huo F, Sun L, Huang J. Peripheral helper T cells in human diseases. J Autoimmun 2024; 145:103218. [PMID: 38574420 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2024.103218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Peripheral helper T cells (Tph) are a specialized subset of CD4+ T cells with the ability to help B cells and induce antibody production. Although usually located in ectopic lymphoid-like structures (ELS), inside the peripheral blood, Tph cells can also be identified. The aberrant proliferation and functions of Tph cells are commonly found in the patients with disease. In this review, first we will summarize the biological characteristics of Tph cells, such as the expression of surface molecules, transcription factors and cytokines, and discuss its B cell help functions. Tph cells also have roles in a wide range of human diseases, including autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, malignancies etc. Therefore, there is a strong interest in targeting Tph cells to improve treat strategies of human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyang Zou
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130000, PR China
| | - Feifei Huo
- Department of Intensive Care Unit, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130000, PR China
| | - Lulu Sun
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130000, PR China
| | - Jing Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130000, PR China.
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Luo Q, Xiao Q, Zhang L, Fu B, Li X, Huang Z, Li J. Circulating TIGIT ±PD1 +TPH, TIGIT ± PD1 +TFH cells are elevated and their predicting role in systemic lupus erythematosus. Heliyon 2024; 10:e27687. [PMID: 38515720 PMCID: PMC10955264 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
It is well established that increased peripheral helper T cells (TPH) and follicular helper T cells (TFH) was found in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. However, the expression patterns and immunomodulatory roles of TIGIT and PD1 on TPH/TFH in SLE are poorly understood. The expression patterns of TIGIT and PD1 on TPH and TFH cells were examined using flow cytometry and their expression patterns in SLE patients were then further evaluated for their correlation with auto-antibodies, disease activity and severity, B cell differentiation. Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors. And the receiver operating characteristic curves and logistic regression model were created to evaluate the predicting role in SLE. TIGIT±PD1+TPH, TIGIT±PD1+TFH cells in the peripheral blood of SLE patients were upregulated, whereas TIGIT+PD1-TFH was downregulated. TIGIT ± PD1+TPH, TIGIT ± PD1+TFH cells positively correlated with auto-antibodies production, disease activity and severity, whereas TIGIT+PD1-TFH cells negatively correlated. TIGIT ± PD1+TPH, TIGIT-PD1+TFH were positively correlated with the frequency of plasmablasts. Furthermore, higher TIGIT+PD1+TPH and TIGIT+PD1+TFH were shown to be risk factors for SLE, whereas TIGIT+PD1-TFH was found to be a protective factor, according to logistic regression analysis. A further logistic regression model showed that combination of TPH/TFH and routine blood indicators may has potential predicting value for SLE, with AUC of 0.957. The increased TIGIT ± PD1+TPH, increased TIGIT ± PD1+TFH, decreased TIGIT+PD1-TFH correlates with disease severity and activity, may boost our comprehending of the role of TIGIT and PD1 on TPH/TFH in SLE, and a logistic regression model based on combination of TPH/TFH and routine blood indicators shows prominent value for predicting SLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Luo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, China
- Nanchang Key Laboratory of Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, China
| | - Qiuyun Xiao
- Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Lu Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Biqi Fu
- Department of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
| | - Zikun Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, China
- Nanchang Key Laboratory of Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, China
| | - Junming Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, China
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, China
- Medical Center of Burn Plastic and Wound Repair, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, China
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Su Z, Ma C, Zhao R, Jiang Y, Cai Y, Yong G, Yang T, Xu X. Heterogeneity of circulating CXCR5-PD-1 hiTph cells in patients of type 2 and type 1 diabetes in Chinese population. Acta Diabetol 2023; 60:767-776. [PMID: 36879107 DOI: 10.1007/s00592-023-02055-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Circulating peripheral helper T (Tph) cells are shown to promote the progression of autoimmune diseases. However, the role of Tph cells in inflammatory diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and the differences between T2DM and autoimmune diabetes remain unclear. METHODS We recruited 92 T2DM patients, 106 type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients and 84 healthy control individuals. Peripheral blood mononucleated cells were isolated and examined by multicolor flow cytometry. We further evaluated the correlations between circulating Tph cells and clinical biochemical parameters, islet function, disease progression and islet autoantibodies. RESULTS Circulating Tph cells were significantly higher in both T2DM and T1DM patients than in healthy control individuals. A significant positive correlation was observed between Tph cells and B cells in T1DM patients and overweight T2DM patients. Furthermore, Tph cells were negatively correlated with the area under the C-peptide curve (C-PAUC), and Tph cells were significantly positively correlated with fasting glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels in T2DM patients. However, no correlation was found between Tph cells and the above clinical indicators in T1DM patients. The frequency of Tph cells positively correlated with the titer of GAD autoantibodies and duration of disease in T1DM patients. In addition, we demonstrated that the frequency of Tph cells was decreased after rituximab therapy in T1DM patients. CONCLUSIONS Circulating Tph cells are associated with blood glucose levels and islet function in T2DM patients. In T1DM patients, circulating Tph cells are associated with B cells and islet autoantibodies. This may suggest that Tph cells have different pathogenic mechanisms in the two types of diabetes. CLINICAL TRIAL INFORMATION http://ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01280682 (registered July, 2010).
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhangyao Su
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chenggong Ma
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ruiling Zhao
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yin Jiang
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yun Cai
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Gu Yong
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tao Yang
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Xinyu Xu
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210029, Jiangsu, China.
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Chen X, Wang Y, Huang X, Geng S, Li C, Zeng L, Huang L, Du X, Weng J, Lai P. Targeting Bcl-6 prevents sclerodermatous chronic graft-versus-host disease by abrogating T follicular helper differentiation in mice. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 117:109746. [PMID: 36827923 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.109746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is the most common cause of non-relapse mortality (NRM) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). CD4+ follicular helper T (Tfh) cells, specialized providers of T cell help to B cells, play a vital role in GVHD pathogenesis. B-cell lymphoma-6 (Bcl-6) transcription factor has been shown to be required for Tfh-mediated germinal center reactions. In this study, we would like to evaluate the effect of Bcl-6 on Tfh function in sclerodermatous cGVHD and the efficacy of Bcl-6 inhibitors (Bcl-6i) for treating a minor histocompatibility complex (miHC) mismatch model of sclerodermatous cGVHD (scl-cGVHD). METHODS A minor histocompatibility haploidentical model of scl-cGVHD was established and received intraperitoneal injection of 79-6, a small-molecule inhibitor of Bcl-6. The clinical manifestations and survival times of cGVHD mice were recorded. The histological assessment was performed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Masson's trichrome staining on the skin and lung tissues. Tfh cells and germinal center B cells in the spleen and peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry. The cellular markers were immunostained in different organs. ELISA was performed to detect cytokine secretion. RESULTS Bcl-6 inhibition by 79-6 improved the clinical manifestation of scl-cGVHD mice and prolonged their survival. The histopathologic damage, particular the fibrotic changes of scl-cGVHD mice was significantly relieved after 79-6 treatment. Furthermore, 79-6 treatment not only suppressed the development and function of Tfh and Tph cells in the peripheral blood, but also reduced the survival of Tfh cells in the spleen. Moreover, 79-6 decreased the frequency of GC plasmocytes accompanied by a reduction in IL-21. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that Bcl-6 inhibitor could prevent murine sclerodermatous chronic graft-versus-host disease by abrogating T follicular helper differentiation and suppressing the function of GC B cells, indicating that Bcl-6 inhibition may be a potential treatment for patients with cGVHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Chen
- Department of Hematology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University. Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, PR China
| | - Yulian Wang
- Department of Hematology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University. Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, PR China
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Hematology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University. Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, PR China
| | - Suxia Geng
- Department of Hematology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University. Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, PR China
| | - Chao Li
- Department of Hematology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University. Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, PR China
| | - Lingji Zeng
- Department of Hematology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University. Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, PR China
| | - Lisi Huang
- Department of Hematology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University. Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, PR China
| | - Xin Du
- Department of Hematology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University. Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, PR China.
| | - Jianyu Weng
- Department of Hematology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University. Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, PR China.
| | - Peilong Lai
- Department of Hematology, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University. Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, PR China.
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Long Y, Xia C, Sun Y, Ma Y, Xu L, Song Y, Liu C. Increased circulating PD-1 hiCXCR5- peripheral helper T cells are associated with disease severity of active ulcerative colitis patients. Immunol Lett 2021; 233:2-10. [PMID: 33675861 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2021.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE A recently identified population of T cells, phenotypically CD4+PD-1hiCXCR5-, has been firstly termed as peripheral helper T cells (Tph) and found to be pathogenic in autoimmune diseases. However, the potential role of Tph in ulcerative colitis (UC) remains unclear. We aim to investigate the changes of circulating Tph in UC patients and their potential significance in the pathogenesis of UC. METHODS Totally 68 UC patients and 34 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled. Circulating Tph and B cell subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry. Expressions of inducible T-cell co-stimulator (ICOS) on Tph cells were analyzed. Serum IL-4, IL-10, IL-12 and IL-21 were detected using ELISA. Correlation analyses were conducted between Tph cells and disease severity, functional B cell subsets and serum cytokines. RESULTS Both the frequency and absolute number of Tph were significantly increased in active UC patients and ICOS levels in Tph cells were also elevated, compared with remission UC patients and healthy controls. Tph and ICOS expression were significantly positively correlated with Mayo score and serum CRP in active UC patients, and were significantly decreased when achieving remission after treatment. Tph levels were correlated with new memory B cells, plasmablasts, serum IL-4 and IL-21. Meanwhile, serum IL-10 showed negative correlation while IL-12 exhibited positive correlation with circulating Tph cells in UC patients. CONCLUSIONS Circulating Tph cells are elevated in active UC patients and are associated with the disease activity, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of UC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Long
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Changsheng Xia
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Sun
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yinting Ma
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Lijuan Xu
- Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Centre, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Song
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China.
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Yong L, Chunyan W, Yan Y, Wanyu L, Huifan J, Pingwei Z, Yanfang J. Expanded circulating peripheral helper T cells in primary biliary cholangitis: Tph cells in PBC. Mol Immunol 2021; 131:44-50. [PMID: 33446391 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Peripheral helper T (TPH) cells, a recently defined subset of Th cells, promote B cell differentiation and antibody production in inflamed tissues. This study investigated whether circulating TPH cells are associated with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), a typical organ-specific autoimmune disease. METHODS Twenty PBC patients and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited. The circulating TPH cell subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry, and the associations of TPH cells with disease activity and plasma cells were determined. Functional analysis was performed using a TPH and B cell coculture experiment. RESULTS The frequencies of circulating TPH cells, ICOS+ TPH cells, and CD28+ TPH cells were increased in patients with PBC. Furthermore, the ICOS+ TPH cell level was higher in PBC patients with or without cirrhosis than in HCs, and the level decreased after treatment. Moreover, ICOS+ TPH cell levels correlated positively with specific clinical parameters (including anti-mitochondrial antibodies against M2 antigen (AMA-M2), IgM) and plasma cell levels, suggesting that the TPH cell activation status is associated with the severity of PBC. Coculture results revealed an enhanced ability of TPH cells from PBC patients to induce B cell differentiation. CONCLUSIONS Elevated numbers of TPH cells may be involved in the pathogenesis of PBC, and the activation status of TPH cells is related to the severity of PBC. Additionally, TPH cells can be used as a useful biomarker for evaluating the progression of PBC and may serve as a therapeutic target for PBC patients in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Yong
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration & Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, Genetic Diagnosis Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Wang Chunyan
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration & Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, Genetic Diagnosis Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yu Yan
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration & Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, Genetic Diagnosis Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Li Wanyu
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ji Huifan
- Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhao Pingwei
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration & Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, Genetic Diagnosis Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
| | - Jiang Yanfang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration & Transplantation of the Ministry of Education, Genetic Diagnosis Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
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